How Racial Preferences Hurt Minority Students

10/12/2012 6:45PM

Many black and Hispanic students admitted to elite schools for which they are not prepared end up getting low grades, switching to easier majors, or dropping out altogether. WSJ's Gary Rosen discusses the problem with Stuart Taylor, Jr., co-author of a new book on the subject.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... this week the Supreme Court heard arguments about the constitutionality of affirmative action in higher education ... but affirmative action is a big issue with lots of different sides to it and today we're joined by the author of the new book ... who argues ... that affirmative action is not a good thing for the very students it's both the hell ... so what were joined today by Stuart Taylor ... so Stuart the title of this new book you've written with Richard C and or its ... mismatch ... how affirmative action hurts students it's intended to help ... with the one you mean by that what is the mismatch in your title ... read ... the delivery of sinners all the students is intended to how ... we use a very large racial preferences which are what affirmative action has come ... in college admissions accepting ... said last year and is ... the state he scores and grades are ... others why ... did he score maybe over a decline ... below this one derision classmates ... my preference is that March and usually are ... that is bad for the supposed beneficiaries who is in place and academic environments where they can compete ... we can't keep up ... for instance the error in there again ... he must ensure faster ... or better from there ... and that can be discouraging illegal grace will lead to legal O'Grady Slow busway ... in case you want your science ... so just as at the level of an individual ... do ... what is it effective you have this ... article you and that we can stand are written with the weekend Revue the journal ... and you start off ... with this very capable found being Adam kid who went off to cold day ... but wasn't really ready for the academic demands of coal ... so what happened ... yes it's great to draw lessons name ... the ... president is classic high school a twenty percent ... he gets to call it nobody told ... Colby is as if he scores ... were two hundred fifty points are so low that they ... call a memory tell you is can be there like its wood ... creates ... uncertainty tell them ... that the admissions offices on protections ... I would be a referendum on the Class C is exceptional ... and so we get there and yet entered academically ... can ... you have no idea what is getting into ... the ... euro down or which are academically and in his first year with cruciate ... and fortunately he ... you know the actor year he came back ... he got some ... help from professors for guidance counselors ... he made it through the area ... others ... like him don't make it ... so what what would ... better fit ... some of these kids better and again you you empathize correctly that were talking about ... some fraction ... of the ... minority kids blacks and Hispanics admitted to more selective universities obviously not all of them but for those who find themselves in over their heads academically ... what what would be a better setting for that ... they're certainly BHLB ouch ... there are a ... better sentiment in college this ... farther down the competitiveness were farther down Christie for you to all ... of the way they would be ... well matched academically ... with their peers with the class today so ... you know as you got a good guy certain grade point average certain STT range ... we are likely to do better on the other students fall into that and ... are in the same generals I'm you know that the current year there ... are one way or another ... four points ... or higher points here or ... in a great big difference in which you ... and ... Sasha you fail ... so the arguments that have been made before the Supreme Court ... talking about how important is to have diversity on campus very often point to its social benefits ... and talk about the importance of mixing kids from diverse backgrounds ... give a very interesting argument about that and how will I be in effect it doesn't happen because of some of the problems related to affirmative action ... that's right um we we we re ... versus the appraised another ... this ... is the isthe anthology its chain in a way that doesn't sacrifice of the values ... that ... doesn't sacrifice the benefits of diversity ... there is a very interesting studies ... and when an asset to my intuition ... the show that when students are very good at it ... brackets in terms of their success on canvas courses in eighteen eighty are courses the few courses ... that is ... that ... affirmative action send out pretty fast ... the kids tend to socialize ... with others who are ... in the same general ... academically and when you have for color coded to cheer ... higher in college it doesn't make its social interactions ... and in particular a lot of times people go lower ... than they are he ... understandably ... become somewhat ... self centered and canceling their habitat in June ... so it's here is your view then that we should ... get rid of ... any sort of affirmative action have no preferences of any kind for the disadvantaged ... well it's in our view ... first a correction used in preference is used in the nature of the ... doors of opportunity are equally open ... nature people are being overlooked its common name ... Lawrence racial preferences ... we are saying if you try to Amharic she ... says we are playing a huge reforms were ... squeezed and who are crucial for us when we're in for our picture ... is ... the key issue are those of the beneficiaries are the recipients of these racial preferences by Mark ... Moore ... will ... he explained in its do or are they are being passed over ... better off on the left won't write AG hits are being passed over ... in order to get the racial numbers right so ... when you ... have access to economic inequality ... racial preferences is the work they are making it worse not better ... very good will thank you for joining us that Stuart and there it is an eye opening book and an eye opening article in this weekend's Wall Street Journal ... for Wall Street Journal weekend Revue I'm Gary Rosen ...